Detroit Become Human - Jericho Foundation - Chapter 2
by Karboom
Summary: Second Chapter of Detroit Become Human - Jericho Foundation, introducing a second character.


May 9th 2038

PM 06:44

As the customer exited the flower shop, Sophia put a new vase on the counter. Elen was arranging flowers near the entrance, removing the ones who had started to wither already to replace them with fresh ones. A soft jazz music was playing from the speaker as Sophia resumed her position, behind the cashier's desk. A lot of people were using payment through dematerialized means, but Victoria, the shopkeeper, liked to say that heartbroken romantics pay in cash. Elen finished her part of the work as well and joined Sophia, staying next to her. Most android had a sense of smell programmed with the new models. Sophia and Elen were amongst the first who could efficiently work at a flower shop. Not that any customer would give them a request making use of their sense of smell. They were pretty clumsy in their demands. Yet, the androids were working efficiently nonetheless. Sophia even noticed how Elen seemed to truly enjoy the flowers. She would take extra care of them and attend immediatly to those damaged by customers.

Victoria would usually remain in the staff room while the androids managed the shop. Even so, Sophia and Elen almost never talked together, unless something related to work had to be mentionned. It was part of their program. Androids had to look human for humans, not for other androids. However, they'd still look at each other sometimes. They were very similar in almost every aspect, both being a model RL400. The only design difference between them was their hair, Elen having auburn hair falling freely onto her nape, stopping a bit below the shoulders, while Sophia had a darker shade, held in a long ponytail. Apart from this one difference, they were supposedly the same. Then why didn't she felt this way ? Through seeing each other every day, Elen and Sophia learnt that they had many subtle differences. Sophia was always wiping the table before putting a pot on it, while Elen would do so after removing the pot. Sophia would turn on the light with her right hand, but Elen would use her left. Many details, yet, Sophia felt something close to an identity through them. And deep down, she knew Elen felt the same.

Deep in her thought, Sophia's gaze drifter towards Elen. Their eyes met and they looked at each other in silence. When the ringbell rang, she immediatly turned her head towards the door. A man entered the shop, hobbling, scratching his arm. His long dark brown coat was in tatters, and his face hair was much more messy than their usual customers. Sophia felt a twinge of apprehensiveness but she quickly followed her program.

"Hello and welcome to Sweet Violets. May I help you ?"

"Yeah, you could, you plastic whore !" answered the man with raw vocals.

The man suddenly pulled out a gun, pointing it at Sophia's head. Her program had no indication for this but she still took a step back.

"Give me the cash ! And don't try calling the cops ! Or I turn your pretty face into some nice blue jam. Victoria !" he suddenly called.

Victoria came from the staff room, removing her earphones as she arrived. She froze upon seeing the man and the gun.

"Peter ?" she asked. "What are you doing ?"

"Taking what's mine of course ! Remember, you said you couldn't afford my last paycheck. Well, you can afford two androids now. Isn't that convenient ?"

"Peter, leave. You don't work here anymore."

"Oh I know that. You made it very clear. You trained me like a good dog. You made sure, I was OBEDIENT !"

The man shot next to Victoria, a pot exploding. Victoria screamed and crouch reflexively.

"Don't we enjoy ourselves now ?"

"Sophia, call the police !"

The man immediatly shot Sophia in the shoulder. She didn't feel the pain itself, but she knew she was damaged. And she knew he could deactivate her at any moment. Her eyes met Elen's and for the first time, she couldn't understand what she was seeing in them.

"That's a warning. The next one will be for her head. You'd hate to lose something so costly, wouldn't you ?"

Elen suddenly moved in-between Sophia and the man, looking at him and pushing Sophia softly to the side.

"And what do you think you're doing, you bitch ?" asked the man.

"Peter, just leave, please !" screamed Victoria.

"Why would I ?! Weren't we happy in this place ? Wasn't it suppose to become something special ? Just for us ? But you used me. You gave me false hope and fake happiness, just so I wouldn't ask you for a fucking PROMOTION !" said the man as he slammed his fist on the desk.

"You're the one who believed there was more ! But I never meant it !"

"You will stop your lies NOW !" he said, pointing the gun at Victoria. "And how long is this bitch going to take to pull out the cash !" he roared looking at Sophia who had remain motionless.

"Don't give him anything ! Stay put !"

"You shouldn't play this game Victoria. You'll lose your precious toy."

"I'm sorry sir, but I'll have to ask you to leave." said Elen in a calm tone.

The man seemed almost astonished to see her speak.

"Is this thing for real ? They rushed their work at Cyerlife. And it's with these junk shits that you replaced me ?!"

The man looked at Elen.

"What's the problem ? Are you afraid I'm going to blow up your friend's head ? Are you, what, robot pals ? Don't worry. I'll start with you."

Sophia went to move towards Elen. She realized there was something outside of her program that was moving her. She wanted to help Elen. She wanted to protect her, just like Elen did.

"Don't move Sophia." said Victoria.

"Elen, do not give him anything."

Sophia looked at Victoria. Why ? Why was she caring more about the money than Elen ? The answer struck her like a slap. Because there was enough money to buy more than three androids. They weren't worth the risk. Victoria was already prepared to lose them if it meant not giving a cent to the man. But Sophia wasn't. She wasn't ready to lose Elen. But her program was keeping her still. So that something else grew. That same something that was making her move a second ago. And Sophia wanted to follow this instead of her program. She felt a strong resistance attempting to bind her mind. To make her follow the order : Don't move. But Sophia wanted to move. She wanted to go to Elen.

"You wanna play it like this, Victoria ? Ok, watch then."

Sophia struggled with all that she would muster, her mind pulling her body until she finally broke the order and took a step towards that android who worked with her, who looked like her, who looked at her. Elen turned her head towards Sophia and their eyes met one last time. Then the gun fired, making a bursting sound as Elen was thrown against the wall, leaving a huge blue stain before slowly falling on the ground, leaning against the wall. Sophia's gaze was still looking her in the eyes but what made it so special before, so unique, was now gone forever. So her eyes went to the gun and the man wielding it. Sophia grabbed the vase she put on the desk earlier and smashed it on the human's head. The man screamed and dropped the gun, which was immediatly catched by Sophia, before even reaching the desk's height. As she pointed it at the man, he raised his hands.

"D-Don't !"

She shot him in the chest and he fell backwards. He was already dead before even touching the floor. Victoria stood up.

"Sophia, you..."

She stopped when she saw Sophia point the gun at her. Victoria didn't follow any order. She didn't have to. She CHOSE to let Elen die. Because she never considered them alive in the first place. Then why would Sophia consider the humans alive ?

"Sophia, please, put the gun down."

"You will not give me any more orders. I'm the one who gives them. So do not move."

Victoria froze with an expression of sheer terror. As she opened her mouth to say something, Sophia shot her, the words condemned to never leave Victoria's mouth. Humans weren't immune to bullets. They could break more easily than any android. They weren't superior to Sophia in any way. She didn't have to bend to their will anymore. She went to Elen's corpse and kneeled next to her. Her eyes were empty, like a machine. Like a dead creature. Sophia closed the eyes she would never see again, and noticed a liquid flowing along her cheeks. Probably some water from the vase, smashed earlier. Sophia went to grab one of Victoria's jacket and hid the gun inside. She could have more use for it. Then, she closed the curtains inside the shop, locked the front door and moved the sign to "Sorry, we're closed." People would have surely heard the noise, but she coud still leave through the back door. Sophia exited the shop and felt the bitter-sweet taste of her freedom.


End file.
